Suction cleaner



March 8, 1932. E. BUTZER SUCTION CLEANER Filed Sept. 22, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet WANNA/A;

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March 8, 1932.

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Sept. 22, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

w M w Patented Mar. 8,1932

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE EUGENE BUZZER, OF BASEL, SWITZERLAND-,ASSIGNOB TO THE HOOVER COMPANY, OF NORTH CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OFOHIO suc'rron CLEANER The present invention relates to suction cleaners,and particularly to improvements in that type of suction cleaner whichemploys a motor-driven agitator, and in which the power transmission ispositioned within the dirt-laden air passageway- An object of theinvention is the provision of an improvement in suction cleanerconstruction through the incorporation of which the performance of thecleaner will be improved. A further object is the provision of means ina suction cleaner to increase the life of the power-transmission. Astill further object is the provision of means, in a suction cleaner ofthe type in which the power-transmi'ssion is positioned within thedirtladen air passage, which will divert the dirtladen air from. thepower transmission. Another object is the provision in a suction cleanerconstruction, of the type in which power is transmitted from the drivingpulley positioned substantially in the eye of the fan chamber to anagitator positioned in the nozzle mouth, of improvements, through theincorporation of which, the dirt-laden stream of air is diverted fromthe power-transmission pulley. Other and more specific objects willappear on reading the following specification and considering thedrawings annexed thereto.

element in the present invention.

In the modern suction cleaner embodying positive agitation means, suchas a rotary brush or rigid agitator within the suction nozzle in sucli aposition that it is adapted to rotate in cdiitact with the surfacecovering in the operation of the machine, it is a common means ofproviding the rotating torque for such anagitator to continue the motorshaft through the fan chamber, in which the suction-creating fan for thecleaner is usually mounted, into the air passage immediately adjacentthe fan chamber, which is commonly called the eye of the fan chamber,and thereto connect said shaft to means which transmit the rotatingtorque to the agitator. This power-transmission means may be a rotatableshaft, in which case a gear would be mounted at the end of the motorshaft in the fan chamber eye which would mesh with a gearpositioned uponthe shaft. It is a more common method, however, to position a pulleyupon the end of the motor shaft and also to place a pulley upon therotating agitator and to convey power from one to the other by means ofa belt. Inasmuch as this belt is positioned in the passageway used bythe dirt-laden stream of air which passes from the mouth of the nozzleto the fan chamber in the response to suction created by the fantherein, it is clear that foreign matter suspended in the air may comeinto contact with the driving belt throughout its length and at thepoint at which it makes driving contact with the driving pulley at theeye of the fan chamber. Such a condition is undesirable whether theforeign matter be dirt, grit, strings or hair or matter of similarcharacter. If the matter which contacts the belt and thedriving pulleybe dirt and grit it is ground into the belt and the life of the belt ismaterially shortened. If it takes the form of strings and hair, etc., inmany instances the belt is thrown off the driving pulley and it isnecessary, if the machine is to be continued in o eration, todisassemble it, remove the foreign matter from the pulley and replacethe belt. In many instances the elt is broken through stretching by anaccumulation of foreign matter which becomes wrapped around the pulleyand so increases the eifective diameter to such a point that the elasticlimit of the belt is exceeded. Such a condition not only results in anunnecessary load upon the motor, but further in loss of efiiciency andtime loss to the operator. It is to avoid and overcome suchobjectionable results that the present invention is directed.

Referring now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention is disclosed, comprising a modern type suction.

casing 1 immediately above the fan chamber 3 with its shaft 9 extendingdownwardly through the fan chamber 3, where the fan 8 is mounted uponit, into the air passageway immediately outside the fan chamber, whichis called the eye of the fan chamber, where the pulley 10 is mounted.The entire construction is movably supported by means of spaced frontsupporting wheels 11, 11 and by the rear vertically-adjustablesupporting wheels 12, 12 which are provided with means 13 by which thecleaner may be pivoted abput the axis of the front supporting wheels inorder to vary the position of the nozzle relative to the coveringundergoing cleaning.

The main casing 1 is provided with spaced vertical walls 14, 14 withinthe nozzle 2, Fig. 2, which converge toward the inlet of the chamber 3.These walls define wheel pockets 15, 15 at the rearward corners of, thenozzle 2 .within which are positioned the front supporting wheels 11, 11and also serve to define the sides of the air passage which leads fromthe mouth of the nozzle 2, which is defined by the nozzle lips 16 and17, to the fan chamber. The bottom of the air passage comprises thebottom plate 18 upon which the rear'nozzle lip 17 is integrally formed.At the rear of the air passage formed by the walls 14, 14 and the bottomplate 18 together with the top of the casing 2, is positioned aremovable housing 19 which forms a continuation of the air passage andserves to direct the air into the fan chamber 3.

Housing 19 is removably attached to the casing 1 by means of forwardlyprotruding pins 20, 20 which seat in the rear wall of casing 1, and alsoby the rearwardly extending portion 21 which is removably held in placeby a transversely slidable member 22, the construction being awell-known and much used one completely shown and described in thepatent to Hettelsater, 1,575,363.

In the usual suction cleaner of this type the housing 19 is formed witha bottom surface which is a continuation of the bottom plate 18 of theair passage and its bottom surface is rounded into upwardly divertingside walls forming a chamber within which a driving pulley for the beltis positioned. The air which enters between the nozzle lips 1.6 and 17passes 'rearwardly, into the air passage aforedescribed, and enters thehousing. of the usual type, across its entire width and is deflectedupwardly therein upon contacting the rear wall thereof passing, beforeit does so, the driving pulley and thereby bringing all foreign matterwhich it carries into contact with said pulley. In the housing, formedaccording to the present invention, however, the housing 19 is formedwith a bottom surface 23 which is positioned above the bottom plate 18of the air passage and is somewhat above the top of the driving pulley10 which is positioned within the housing. The channel indicated by thereference character 24 is provided which extends the length of thehousing and provides a seat withinwhich the pulley is seated. Thesurface 23, the channel 24 and the diverging wall 25 of the housing 19ends in a plate 2.6 at their forward end, the lower extremity of whichis substantially in line with the bottom of the channel 24 and whichserves to close the air passage formed in the casing 1 which liesoutside the housing described by walls 25, the seat 23 and the channel24.

In the usual suction cleaner the driving belt is positioned within theair passage of the casing 1 and extends from the pulley 27 which isformed upon the rotatably mounted agitator 28 in the nozzle 2, to'thedriving pulley which is positioned within the'housing forming the eye ofthe fan chamber. In a cleaner, constructed in accordance with thepresent invention, a baflie plate, indicated by the reference character29, is positioned within the air passage casing being secured therein bysuitable means such as screws 30, 30. Baflle 29 comprises a plate, thesides of which fit comfortably and snugly adjacent the walls 14, 14 ofthe air passage and the front portion 31 of which is flattened and liesupon the bottom plate 18 of the air passage. An intermediate section 32-slopes upwardly and 'rearwardly and ends in a flattened portion 33 whichis substantially upon a level with the'surface 23 of the chamber 19.Baffle 29 is provided with a cutaway portion in'its approximate center,as indicated at 34, through which the driving belt, indicated by thereference character 35, may pass. The flattened portion 33 at the rearof the bafile'is slightly raised near its center immediately in the rearof the cutaway section 34 as is indicated at 22 so as not to interferewith the driving belt In the operation of the cleaner construction inaccordance with the present invention, as the machine is operated uponthe surface covering, air .and dirt are drawn through the nozzle 2between the lips 16 and 1.7 and into the air passage within the nozzlein response to the suction created by the suction-creating fan 18. Asthe air with foreign matter enters the air passage it is deflectedupwardly upon making contact with the baflle 29 positioned therein, andcontinues its rearward passage between that bafile and the bottom of thefan chamber. The air is deflected by the baflle above the level of thedriving pulley and the belt 35 connected therewith and enters the whichcarries foreign matter to gain entrance into the air passage below thebattle and so enters through the housing 19 in the vicinity of thedriving pulley shaft at its point of contact with the belt 35 but thegreater part of the air together with the matter carried thereby isdeflected from the pulley by the construction aforedescribed and contacttherewith is prevented.

Having clearly and completely described the present invention, Iclaim 1. In a suction cleaner a nozzle, an agitator in said nozzle, afan chamber, a conduit connecting said nozzle and said fan chamber, anunprotected drive shaft extending through said fan chamber into saidconduit, a fan carried by said shaft in said fan chamber,power-transmission means in said conduit extending from said agitator tosaid shaft, and

stationary means to deflect the dirt-laden air' in said conduit from thepoint of contact of said power-transmission means and said shaft.

2. In a suction cleaner a nozzle, an agitator in said nozzle, a fanchamber, an air passageway or conduit connecting said nozzle and saidfan chamber, a drive shaft extending through said fan chamber into saidconduit,

a fan carriedby said shaft in said fan chamber, power-transmission meansin said conduit extending from said agitator to said shaft, andstationary means to deflect the dirtladen air in said conduit from thepoint of contact of said power-transmission means and said shaft, saidmeans comprising a baffle positioned in said conduit which contacts thebottom wall of said conduit adjacent its forward end and which extendsrearwardly and upwardly to a level above said point of contact of saidpower-transmission means an said shaft at its rearmost end.

3. In a suction cleaner a nozzle including a mouth, a rotary agitatorpositioned in said nozzle, :1 fan chamber, a conduit connecting saidnozzle and said fan chamber, a drive shaft extending through said fanchamber into said conduit, a fan on said shaft in said fan chamber, apulley on said shaft in said conduit, a power-transmitting belt in saidconduit connecting said agitator to said pulley, and an air deflectingbafiie in said conduit having an opening through which said belt canpass, said bafiie making line contact with the side of said conduitadjacent said pulley at its forward end and extending laden air thereinfrom said pulley.

4. In a suction cleaner a nozzle including a mouth, a rotary agitatorpositioned in sai nozzle, a fan chamber, a conduit connecting saidnozzle and said fan chamber, a drive shaft extending through said fanchamber into said conduit, a fan on said shaft insaid fan chamber, apulley on said shaft in said conduit, a power-transmitting belt in saidconduit connecting saidagitator to said pulley, and an air deflectingbaflie in said conduit, said baflie comprising a plate extendingpartially across said conduit, a portion of said plate extendingparallel to and in contact with a side of said conduit, an intermediateportion of said Plate sloping rearwardly and upwardly and havin a slotfor said belt, and a rear portion of sai plate extending substantiallyparallel to said first-mentioned portion andending substantiallyadjacent the inlet of said fan chamber and above said pulley.

5. In a suction cleaner comprising a nozzle, a fan chamber and an airpassageway therebetweeman agitato'rwithin said nozzle, a driving shaftextending from said fan chamber into said air passageway, power transmssion means connecting said agitator to said driving shaft, a removablehousing forming ,the end of said passageway adjacent said fantherebetween, a rotatable agitator within said nozzle, a driving shaftextending from said fan chamber into said air passageway, a beltconnecting said agitator to said shaft, a removable housing forming theend of sald passageway adjacent said fan chamber havlng a bottom surfacebetween the fan chamber and the point of contact of said belt and saidshaft,

and a channel .depending from Said bottom surface closely enclosing saidbelt and said shaft.

Signed at Basel, in the canton of Basel- City, and State of'Switzerland,this 28th day of August, A. D. 1930.

i EUGENE BUTZER. [L. 8.]

